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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883795">Seminar on Inherited Dysfunction</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemechanicalalligator/pseuds/onemechanicalalligator'>onemechanicalalligator</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Apologies, Ficlet, Fix-It, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:28:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883795</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemechanicalalligator/pseuds/onemechanicalalligator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“Look, Abed,” Jeff says, once they’re effectively alone. “I’m sorry.”</p>
  <p>“For yelling at me or for slapping me?” Abed asks, and looks Jeff square in the eyes. His words are monotone but somehow also sharp, and Jeff flinches a little.</p>
</blockquote><br/>How I think "Basic RV Repair and Palmistry" should have ended.
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Abed Nadir &amp; Jeff Winger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>166</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Seminar on Inherited Dysfunction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the RV is finally fixed and they’re on their way home, Jeff looks around for Abed and finds him sitting by himself in the back. Jeff has been thinking about what happened just after the RV broke down, how he and Abed had bickered, how he had <em> slapped </em> Abed. It didn’t bother him at the time, because he was so frustrated, and then later, after Abed gave his speech to the dean, it felt like everything was better. But now he can’t stop thinking about it, and it’s eating at him.</p><p>Abed is sitting cross-legged on Elroy’s bed, staring into space, and he doesn’t seem to notice Jeff until he sits down next to him, causing the bed to bounce a little. He startles, but he doesn’t say anything.</p><p>“Hey,” Jeff says. “Got a minute to talk?”</p><p>“I’ve got lots of minutes,” Abed replies dully, not looking at Jeff. “This isn’t an interesting drive.”</p><p>There’s a vinyl partition just like the one up front, and Jeff pulls it shut. He knows it won’t make the room soundproof, but it will at least give them the illusion of privacy.</p><p>“Look, Abed,” Jeff says, once they’re effectively alone. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“For yelling at me or for slapping me?” Abed asks, and looks Jeff square in the eyes. His words are monotone but somehow also sharp, and Jeff flinches a little.</p><p>“Both,” Jeff says, and he feels like Abed is looking directly into his soul, and he wants to break eye contact but he thinks that would be the wrong thing to do.</p><p>“Okay,” Abed says, and flops back on the bed so he’s staring up at the ceiling.</p><p>Jeff copies Abed so that now they’re lying next to each other, both looking up, like stargazers.</p><p>“Okay?” Jeff asks. “Is that it?”</p><p>“What do you want me to say, Jeff? It’s fine? I don’t mind if you yell at me when my brain is glitching? It’s cool if you slap me because you haven’t had a drink in 12 hours?”</p><p>Abed’s voice is still flat. He’s not yelling, but it feels to Jeff like he is. Like he should be. Jeff doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything. He turns his head to the side so he’s looking at Abed’s ear and waits to see if Abed will face him. He does. </p><p>“I don’t like it when you talk to me like I’m stupid,” Abed says, “or order me to the back of the RV, even though I guess that’s where I ultimately ended up anyway. I really don’t like it when you slap me, especially when you don’t apologize afterwards. But I also feel like you’ve got some personal stuff you need to work out, and I feel bad for you.”</p><p>“What personal stuff?” Jeff asks suspiciously.</p><p>“Jeff, we all know your drinking is a problem. You can’t deny that. Frankie literally wrote ‘functional alcoholic’ in your file.”</p><p>Jeff lets out a deep breath but doesn’t say anything.</p><p>“I want to be clear about the fact that I don’t think we’re in a TV show before I say this next part,” Abed says, and Jeff nods. “Okay. If this were a TV show, <em> which it is not, </em> we would call this a Very Special Episode, and the ideal outcome of a Very Special Episode is you getting the help that you need.”</p><p>Jeff closes his eyes.</p><p>“Talk to someone,” Abed says, and his voice is softer, gentler. “Or go to a meeting. I don’t know. Be proactive, Jeff.”</p><p>Now Jeff <em> can’t </em>speak, because there’s a lump in his throat, and he doesn’t know if he’s choking on Abed’s compassion or his own shame. He opens his eyes and Abed is still looking at him.</p><p>Abed reaches over a few inches and grabs Jeff’s hand, and it’s a small gesture, but Jeff is glad for that anchor. Abed doesn’t move his eyes from Jeff’s.</p><p>“I’m so sorry I slapped you,” Jeff whispers, and he feels tears prickling in his eyes. “And spoke to you that way. I should never have…” He blinks several times in quick succession, but it’s useless, and tears spill out of the sides of his eyes, down into his ears, and it’s a terrible feeling, but he doesn’t move.</p><p>“Can I ask you a question?” Abed asks, and Jeff nods. “Why me? You were frustrated with everyone. But you <em> slapped </em>me. Am I that much worse than the others?”</p><p>“No,” Jeff says quickly, “Jesus, Abed. Of course you’re not worse than the others. It’s almost the opposite. I let you get to me, probably because I care about you so much. I mean, <em>that</em> makes perfect sense, right? That I would physically abuse one of the people I care most about?”</p><p>“Like your dad did,” Abed says, nodding.</p><p>“Fuck,” Jeff says, because Abed’s right, and he starts to sob.</p><p>Abed rolls over and pulls Jeff into an awkward lying-down hug and lets him cry. </p>
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